How does one remove the J-tubes? Options

[doug_b_928]

I can see the brackets that are spot welded to the longs (the bottom halves of mine have disintegrated along with the bottoms of the longs), but how are the J-tubes held in at the top of the long at the front (where it comes through the long and into the cabin) and at the firewall in the rear (mine appears to have brushed on seam sealer around it)?

[malcolm2]

I have the 75 HE set up. It only has cheese head screws. One the attaches the tube to the HE and then a tab that attaches the top of the tube to the engine tin. Bottom one is horizontal, probably well hidden. Have to access under the car. reach above the HE. Top one is access thru the engine compartment.

[doug_b_928]

I think I'm probably using the wrong terminology, my apologies. I mean the steel tubes that are in the front and back of the longs.

[bdstone914]

.Why do you need to remove them? they are welded in.

[doug_b_928]

I was thinking if it's not too difficult it would make repairing the long easier. The lower half of the long needs to be replaced. The car hasn't been touched for at least 32 years and someone had done a bunch of patching to the longs from the cabin side (side of long angling to the floor) and bottom of long bridging to the underside of the floor. In other words, it was rusted out that long ago (before I bought the car), so you can imagine what it is like now.

[mgphoto]

The outer long cover has to be removed to take the heater tubes out, there is a bracket for each tube that must be detached inside the long, the brackets stabalize the tubes to attach to the air baffels inside the long, which are held in place by large circular clips.
Racers will remove these to save weight, they don't need heat.
Mike

[doug_b_928]

I have he outer clamshell off, silencer out, and can see how the brackets are spot welded to the side and top of the long. Are the air tubes welded where the exit (at the upper long for the front one and at the firewall for the rear one? If not, then they should be fairly easy to remove, no?

[Dion]

Doug I'm there now with my build.
They have a tab holding them. Remove the spot welds to take them out.
BUT you need to open up the long.
Oh it's fun...

[Dion]

Opening

[mgphoto]

there should be two mig welds on either side of the tube as it protrudes from the long, front in the cabin and the rear engine bay. Small cutting wheel does the trick.
Mike

[doug_b_928]

Thanks for the pics. So they are not welded anywhere else other than that bracket....

Is it the same for the front air tube?

[doug_b_928]

Thanks Mike. We must have hit submit at the same time.

[Dion]

Tube out. Bracket with spot welds removed.

[mbseto]

Mine had two or three spot welds (it varied). I think they were not the last thing to go on because one of the welds was unreachable by a grinder and I presume a welder. I ended up chiselling the last one. It beat up the elbow a bit, but nothing that can't be tapped out with a body hammer. Once primed and repainted, it will be fine.

[TargaToy]

If there's nothing rotted away, there are tabs top and bottom where the "front" of the J tube is welded to the inside of the long.

[doug_b_928]

The bottom of mine is completely gone.

[TargaToy]

The bottom of mine is completely gone.

Mine were gone too. I ended up recreating the bottom of the factory tabs. You can see where the weld line is in that pic (sorry it's sideways).

[doug_b_928]

That's a great pic, thanks!

[r_towle]

True

[doug_b_928]

True, indeed. 'Hans' must have done the welding on my car and Matthew's because my front one was also welded in a preposterously ridiculous place. I tried every tool I have but nothing could reach it. I eventually had to weaken the metal for that weld... just another patch to add to the ever-growing list.